Humanitarian & Climate — 2026-05-09

2026 Global Food Crisis Report Shows 318 Million Facing Acute Hunger With Dual Famine Declarations

The GRFC 2026, published by the Global Network Against Food Crises, reported that 266 million people across 47 countries faced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025, with severity ranked second-highest on record. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system confirmed famine in Gaza Governorate and parts of Sudan in 2025, the first time famine has been confirmed in two separate contexts in the same year. Ten countries accounted for two-thirds of those affected, with Afghanistan, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen registering the largest crises; 35.5 million children were acutely malnourished in 23 countries, including nearly 10 million with severe wasting. Humanitarian funding has fallen to 2016 levels, and the report attributes the lower headline count partly to reduced data coverage, with 18 countries lacking sufficient data for inclusion.

Analysis
The IPC Phase 5 population stands nine times its 2016 level, with the analyzed share in acute food insecurity above 20 percent for five consecutive years; acute hunger is structural. The dual famine confirmations carry weight because IPC's evidentiary bar is high, though they may instead reflect expanded technical application of Phase 5 criteria, lowering the threshold for future designations. Per GRFC's revised methodology, the lower headline count reflects data gaps in 18 countries, including Burkina Faso and Ethiopia, with 27 million acutely food-insecure in 2024, as funding cuts erode monitoring. There is roughly an even chance at least one additional country declares famine by end of 2026.

1 sources

2026 Global Report on Food Crises - OCHA